The Puffer Forum

i am asking for everyone's recommendations on filter, heater and pump. If i posted this before i am sorry i do not try to double post . I looked through the forum to see if there were any posts of this already and i think there were none. So please just need recommendations on filter, heater and pump.

What size tank? What inhabitants are you planning on keeping?

im planning on keeping a gsp and i think its a 10 gal but i know i will have to make it atleast a 30 gallon tank when it grows older. Another question do gsp's grow fast?

GSPs grow quickly enough. Someone with more experience with them in particular could probably answer that better than I. The 10gal isn't going to last very long for you though. It'd be best just to go ahead and set up the 30gal now before you get the puffer.

As for heaters i'm not sure on that, but i'm a big fan of aquaclear filters so I would suggest that.

Pesonal experience points me to Visi-Therm Stealth for heaters or Rena Cal-Top submersibles.

I like the Aquaclear series of HoB filters, but Ehiem for canisters.

You should not require powerheads in 10g-30g tanks with good filtration. If you move up to a 55 or 33 long, look into a Koralia Nano or Koralia 1 to do mass water movement.


Oh, and when it gets to about 3", make sure to acclimate it to full marine.

qtrhorse89 wrote:GSPs grow quickly enough. Someone with more experience with them in particular could probably answer that better than I. The 10gal isn't going to last very long for you though. It'd be best just to go ahead and set up the 30gal now before you get the puffer.

As for heaters i'm not sure on that, but i'm a big fan of aquaclear filters so I would suggest that.

Actually, GSPs grow very slowly - frustratingly slowly, for some of us impatient types - something like between an inch and two inches per year. Other than that, I'm with you: get at LEAST a 30 gallon now, if at all possible, because he'll easily be stunted if he's kept in a 10 gallon for more than a few months or less, and you're going to need it anyway, so you might as well go ahead and get it.

Concerning heaters, others may disagree but I have had horrible luck with Tetra heaters and filters. Go with Aqueon or Marineland for your heater or filter(s), or Jager for the heater if you can afford it. Those are the only ones I have any experience with.

I have had good luck with Tetra, but it's a matter of luck. Tetra has less quality control, so they don't screen for defects as carefully. I was lucky; I got good ones. You might not be so lucky. If you have a very low budget, go for it, but be prepared to return them if they break down quickly. In the long run, other brands are better, too, since although they cost a lot upfront, they last so much longer. You can also get replacement parts for some of these high-quality brands, enabling you to lengthen their lives. I think Pufferpunk has AquaClears that have been running for twenty or thirty years...

I have seen an Aquaclear filter that has been running almost continuously for 6 years.

I was cleaning it just today, in fact. it's on one of the 40g Breeder tanks at my work. It's now hard at work keeping Chubby the Puffer's water clean until I can get him into a better tank.

My GSPs grew from 2-6" in 2 years.

Pufferpunk has AquaClears that have been running for twenty or thirty years...

I do have an AC filter I bought at least 25 years ago. I know it has the same sponge but I probably have replaced the impeller at least once.

Hi people can I ask you one more question =D? I've decided to get aquaclear power filters. There seems to be many different kinds so may I ask you which one i should get? EX: 20, 30, 50 ,110? I have a 30 gallon for 1 gsp. Also should I get an air pump or a powerhead because powerhead also acts as an air pump? And one last question can you give me a link to a good heater for a 30 gallon for gsp. Also can anyone give me a good aquarium safe silicone because i have done some research and different people said different things so if you can give me the link it would be great!! Thanks everyone!!

For the silicone, just get 100% silicone and make sure that it has no mildewcides in it. Just pure 100% silicone.

I'd get the AquaClear 50 or 70. It usually better to get a filter that is rated for a bit more than what your actual tank is since they usually test the filters running completely empty and will actually lose some GPH (gallons per hour) when you run it with your filter media in there. Hint: The AquaClears have the gallon tank rating as their "model number." So the largest tank they recommend for the Aquaclear 50 is a 50g tank.

Heater links:
Jager (my personal favorite, can't beat German manufacturing) http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=3858

Visi-Therm Stealth http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=12060

In salted water, airstones can splash salt creeps up into the lights, which'll make a mess and potentially ruin your equipment. If you have a powerhead, I think that would provide enough surface agitation, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

marksrush wrote:

qtrhorse89 wrote:GSPs grow quickly enough. Someone with more experience with them in particular could probably answer that better than I. The 10gal isn't going to last very long for you though. It'd be best just to go ahead and set up the 30gal now before you get the puffer.

As for heaters i'm not sure on that, but i'm a big fan of aquaclear filters so I would suggest that.

Actually, GSPs grow very slowly - frustratingly slowly, for some of us impatient types - something like between an inch and two inches per year. Other than that, I'm with you: get at LEAST a 30 gallon now, if at all possible, because he'll easily be stunted if he's kept in a 10 gallon for more than a few months or less, and you're going to need it anyway, so you might as well go ahead and get it.

Concerning heaters, others may disagree but I have had horrible luck with Tetra heaters and filters. Go with Aqueon or Marineland for your heater or filter(s), or Jager for the heater if you can afford it. Those are the only ones I have any experience with.

I agree in regard to Tetra heaters. Since you cannot calibrate the temperature, it is automatically set at 78 degrees. Drs. Foster and Smith even noted that these heaters are off by roughly two degrees, give or take. I have two of them--I hate them. My temperatures go through periodic wide fluctuations, and unlike my heaters that can be calibrated to a specific temperature, I rarely see my tetra heaters turning on (indicated by a little red light).

Oh, I do have a Aqueon heater that I purchased at Petco also. These are pretty accurate, can be calibrated, and can easily be seen when turning on or off. A bit pricey, but a nice purchase.

I have an AC 500 (I believe that is the same as the 70), on my 20g modestus/Royal pleco tank. That is plenty of flow by itself, for the tank.

so now im getting a aquaclear power filter 50 for my 30 gallon. And i've chose to get a powerhead so anyone can recommend me a good powerhead and im still looking on heaters probally tetra or Aqueon but how many watts are recommended for a 30 gal?